nauseous

[ naw-shuhs, -zee-uhs ]
See synonyms for: nauseousnauseousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. affected with nausea; nauseated: to feel nauseous.

  2. causing nausea; sickening; nauseating: a nauseous smell.

  1. disgusting; loathsome: a nauseous display of greed.

Origin of nauseous

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin nauseōsus; see nausea, -ous

confusables note For nauseous

The two literal senses of nauseous, “affected with nausea” ( to feel nauseous ) and “causing nausea” ( a nauseous smell ), appear in English at almost the same time in the early 17th century, and both senses are in standard use at the present time. Nauseous is more common than nauseated in the sense “affected with nausea,” despite recent objections by those who imagine the sense to be new. In the sense “causing nausea,” either literally or figuratively, nauseating has become more common than nauseous : a nauseating smell.

Other words for nauseous

Opposites for nauseous

Other words from nauseous

  • nau·seous·ly, adverb
  • nau·seous·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with nauseous

  • nauseated, nauseous (see confusables note at the current entry)

Words Nearby nauseous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nauseous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nauseous

nauseous

/ (ˈnɔːzɪəs, -sɪ-) /


adjective
  1. feeling sick

  2. causing nausea

  1. distasteful to the mind or senses; repulsive

Derived forms of nauseous

  • nauseously, adverb
  • nauseousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012